The goals of this unit are to help students start strong socially and academically, and to build a positive school culture. The activities in this lesson will encourage students to get to know one another and to create a safe and supportive environment in your Advocacy classrooms. Students will start the school year off with academic organization and planning tools, then build a positive classroom and school-wide culture through creation of community agreements and understanding the purpose of Advocacy. The unit concludes with a final project that uses art and writing components to help students reflect on their current habits of mind strengths and weaknesses.

• Lesson 1: Getting to Know Each Other
• Lesson 2: Habits of Mind
• Lesson 3: Creating a Class Camaraderie
• Lesson 4: The Role of Your Advocacy Teacher
• Lesson 5: Advocacy Goals and Behavior Commitments
• Project: Habits of Mind – Art & Writing

Lesson 1: Getting to Know Each Other
Students will spend meaningful time with one fellow classmate. They will practice the friendship-making skills of opening up, being vulnerable, and pushing themselves out of their comfort zones as they talk to each other and discover commonalities and differences.

Lesson 2: Habits of Mind
Students will learn about 16 habits of mind that support student success. They will reflect on how well, or not, they currently engage with each habit and will identify their greatest strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Lesson 3: Creating a Class Camaraderie
Students will continue to get to know each other and build class camaraderie by playing Two Truths and a Lie. They will also share personal habits of mind strengths and opportunities for growth with each other.

Lesson 4: The Role of Your Advocacy Teacher
In small groups, students will discuss what roles they think their Advocacy Teacher should play. The class will then compare students’ suggestions with predetermined roles. They will actively discuss and explore crossover, with the overall goal of coming to a common understanding of the Advocacy Teacher’s roles.

Lesson 5: Advocacy Goals and Behavior Commitments
Students will learn the goals of Advocacy class and will work together to develop behavior commitments that will support them in achieving their goals.

Project: Habits of Mind – Art & Writing
Over four class periods, students will create two different art projects: 1) a paper-mâché mask that represents their habits of mind strengths, and 2) a hand cutout that represents their habits of mind areas for growth. They will also write a paragraph about each of their habits of mind strengths and opportunities for improvement.